Pedal pad



PEDAL PAD Filed Dec. 14. 1931 I v v Q 7 I NVIENTOR7 247 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 16, 1934 Lsiuis .PEDAL Pal? I 1 Joel R.--Thorp, West Allis, Wis, assignor to The Fulton Company, West-Allis, Wis a corpora- 7 tion of Wisconsin Application December 14, 1931,'Serial No. 580,879 3 Claims. (01. 74-1563) The presentinvention relates in general to improvements in the construction of wear resisting and grip pads especially. adapted for attachment tofoot pedals or the like.

.35 Most. automobiles ,are provided with foot pedals for controllingthe operation of the vehicles, which are formed of metal. Due to continued use and to the presence of moisture thereon, the foot engaging surfaces of these '10 metal pedals frequently become worn and slippery, and they are also hard on thesole's of the shoes of the operator. The types of metal footfpedals utilized by different manufacturers usually vary throughout a considerable range,

.15 and this is especially trueof the sizes and shapes of the foot engaged portions of the pedals.

, It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pad which maybe conveniently and effectively attached to foot pedals 220 of various types and which will eliminate wear andslippage. p I

' .Another object ofv the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive and universal pedal pad which may be applied or removedby a novice and with the aid of an ordinaryscrew driver or the like, I c

A further objector the invention is to provide a universal pedal pad, like parts of which are interchangeable, and which may be manufactured at minimum cost with the aid of punches and dies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a protective pad for foot pedals, which not only enhances the grip, but also protects the shoe soles of the operator and eases or cushions the operators foot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable pedal pad which is neat and attractive in appearance, and thus constitutes a A0 useful and desirable accessory for any car.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of one embodiment of the 3415 invention and of the mode of constructing and of utilizing foot pedal pads made in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the var- Q plate of one of the improved pads;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the lower guide plate; I a V Fig. 4 is a top View of one of the assembled universal pedal pads having a portion of the rubber tread portion broken away;

Fig. 5 is a. part. sectional side elevation of the assembled pad showing the mode of attachrnent thereof to a foot pedal; and

Fig. .6 is an end view of the assembled pad likgwlise showing themodeof attachment to a 5 pe a Y Referring to the drawing, the improved uniyersalpedal padcomprises in general a resilient treadpor'tion 10 formed of rubber or the like; a retainer plate. 11 embedded in and permanetly 7 attached to the-tread portion, 10; a guide plate 12 secured .tp .the lower face of the retainer plate '11; clamping jaws 13 movably associated with the plates 11, 12 yand means in the form of icrews 14 for effecting adjustment of the jaws The tread portion 10 ispreferably formed of relatively soft rubber having a roughened tread surface 15, and the plate 11' is vulcanized to the underside of the tread portion 10 besides 30 having its edges embedded therein. The plates 11, 12 are formed of 'sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, and the retainer plate 11 is provided with cleats 16 adapted to penetrate openings 1'7 in the guide plate 12 and to be sub- 5 sequently bent over the latter to hold the same firmly in place.

The retainer plate 11 is moreover provided with three parallel recesses 18 extending transversely thereacross, and the guide plate 12 has 9 guide flanges 19 extending parallel to and along the opposite sides of each recess 18. The jaws 13 are all of like and interchangeable construction and have opposite side projections 20 adapted to engage and slide along the flanges 5 19 of the plate 12. The jaws 13 which are formed of sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, also have upwardly extending threaded lugs 21 which are movable along the corresponding recesses 18 and the screw threads of og which are engageable with the adjusting screws 14. The screws 14 project through holes 22 in the retainer plate 11 and the heads of these screws are disposed within pockets 23 as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

In order to attach the universal pedal pad to a foot pedal 24, it is first necessary to adjust the jaws 13 outwardly by manipulating the screws 14, until they are capable of clearing the pedal 24 to which the pad is to be applied. 0

The pad may then be applied to the'pedal 24 and the screws 14 manipulated to draw the jaws 13 into firm ooaction with the opposite side edges of the pedal. Subsequent removal of the pad may be just as conveniently efie'cted by merely loosening the jaws 13.

By providing three jaws l3, two on one side and one on the opposite side of the pad, firm clamping is assured regardless of the contourof the pedal edge. The recesses or pockets 23 within which the screw heads are disposed, are. I

also preferably formed slightly tapered as illustrated, so as to maintain the screws 14 fixed against longitudinal movement during rotation thereof, and the projections 20 coacting with the guide flanges 19 prevent undesirable lateral displacement of the jaw supports even if considerable clamping pressure is" applied. 'The forma tion of the retainer plate 11 with the rece'sses'18, also avoids undesirable projections at the bottom of the pad and insures most effective seating of the assembled pad upon a pedal 24.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a simple and highly eificient pedalpad which is adapted for use with foot pedals of various shapes and sizes. The pedal pad may obviously be easily applied. and removed and presents a highly finished and neat appearance. The improved device'may obviously be manufactured at relatively low cost, and has proven very successful in actual use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired Patent:

1. In a pedal pad, a resilient pad portion, a retainer plate secured to said pad portion and having a transverse recess therein, a guide plate attached directly to the'bottom of said retainer plate and disposedfiush with the outer bottom edges of said pad'portion, a jaw having integral side projections slidable between said plates on to secure by Letters opposite sides of said recess and also having upper and lower integral end projections the former of which is slidable along and within said recess, rotary means journalled in said retainer plate and extending longitudinally of said recess, said rotary means having screw thread coaction with said upper jaw projection to adjust said jaw, and other gripping means cooperating with said jaw to clamp said pad to a pedal.

2. In a pedal pad, a pad portion having a transverse recess therein, a. plate providing a lining for said recess, a jaw having an adjusting portion movable along and within said recessand having a gripping portion projecting away from said recess and from said pad portion, rotary means having a headed manipulat- 'ing end and a threaded portion extending within said recess and coating with said jaw adjusting portion to move said gripping portion parallel to said recess; saidheaded end coact ing with said pad portion and with said plate to retain said rotary'means against displacement along the axis of rotation thereof, and other gripping means cooperating with said jaw to clamp said pad portion to a pedal.

3. In a pedal pad, a resilient pad portion, a retainer plate secured to said pad portion and having a transverse recess therein, a guide plate attached to the bottom of said retainer plate and disposedflush with the outer bottomedges of said pad portion, a jaw having integral side projections slidable between said plates on 0pposite sides of said recess and also having upper and lower integral end projections the former of which is slidable along and within said recess, rotary means having a headed manipulating end and a threaded portion extending within said recess and coacting with said upper jaw projection to move said lower jaw projection parallel to said recess, said headed end coacting with said pad portion and with said retainer plate to retain said rotary means against displacement alongthe axis of rotation thereof, and other gripping means cooperating with said jaw to clamp said plate to a pedal.

JOEL R. THORP. 

